365 Days of Happy | April 2017

If you haven’t already heard about my special project for this year, you’re missing out! Every day, for the entire year, no matter what, I will write about something that makes me happy: 365 DAYS OF HAPPY. I invite you to join me in creating the happiest year for yourself! It is never too late to start 🙂 #sdemontigny365daysofhappy2017

365 Days of Happy

For the rules and instructions, check out the original project post. You can find all of January’s images there, and a link to each month thereafter. Happy 365!

365 days of happy – april 2017

DAY 91

The satisfaction of peeling this ENTIRE mask off in ONE PIECE is fantastic! Totally worth the pain I had to endure for the 15 minutes it stayed on. Although it didn’t really do much for my skin…but that might just be because of my hella-dry skin. Oh well. The peel was on point!

#FacePeelMagic

DAY 92

This past October, I had the honour of photographing a beautiful woman as a part of the A Caged Mind project (started by bodypainter May Mutter). The project is to help raise awareness of the many invisible symptoms of concussions and post-concussion-syndrome, by creating visual representions so others can better understand and by bringing together a community of support. I found out that my portrait work is going to be on display at an art show coming up this week! How cool is that! The rest will have to wait until the book is published. I am very exited!!

#ImBeingPublished

DAY 93

Check it out! We finally have a shared office so we get to spend a little more time together, which is really nice considering how much time I spend working and slaving at my computer lately.

#HisAndHersOffice

DAY 94

There’s just something about getting into making a meal together that brings you closer together and gets you working as a team. Best part of home cooked meals. Except for the food. Duh. That’s the main goal. The yummy food. But making it together makes it better 🍽🐟🥒🧀🥂💕

#CookingTogetherMakesTheHeartGrowFonder

DAY 95

This video might be from another day, but I managed to capture the look on his face that he always makes as I enter the room and it is pure joy. How can that not make me happy. Especially when it’s followed by a giant hello snuggle hug. Today it was extra special. The why is our secret. Swoon! 💕

#TheLookOnHisFace

DAY 96

So I got back into my children’s pants and I’m super stoked. Being short has its advantages and now that I’ve lost a few belly pounds I can fit back into them pink pants. Super cheap clothing and fun bright colours? WIN!! 👚👖👗

#PinkPants

DAY 97

Today we got to enjoy a celebratory dinner. We both found out we are getting raises at work for our hard earned efforts, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you universe!

#RaiseTheRoof

DAY 98

My parents have been away all week, and of course it was the week that almost every single day I had something cool to call them about, but couldn’t..Whoop! They are coming back today! Hurray!

#HomeIsWhereYourParentsAre

DAY 99

I had to pull out this bad boy because my employer wanted proof that I graduated. I had no idea it was coming up on 5 years ago! Time sure flies! I have, like so many others, gone in a completely different direction than my education lead me, and I could not be happier! Okay maybe a little with more babies, but that’s a story for another day. Pave your own path and don’t ever look back!

#PaveYourOwnPath

DAY 100

Triple digits today! And yes, that is me–the girl who is allergic to the cold–outside in a t-shirt on this fine April day with a giant pile of snow behind me. Welcome to Canada. Where a 24 degrees Celsius snowball fight is normal. Haters gonna hate, but I’m loving the warmer weather!
🏖👙🔆🙌🏻

#SweaterWeatherBeGone

DAY 101

Today was the monthly RTS meeting, and I am always so pumped up and excited to get to work. This month we talked about personality types and such. Meet my personality pig: Joel is optimistic yet not entirely trusting of others, great at remembering dates, analytical and always paying attention to details, traditional and friendly, secure yet often stubborn, and extremely happy with the quality of love life.

#PersonalityPig

DAY 102

This is a cookbook that has been in my family since the 1800s. Not exaggerating. It’s got names and everything, and things were measured in ‘teacups’ and ‘coffee cups’ and extremely simple. I was very excited to find it again (forgot I had it–shame!) and will certainly be looking through it for some vintage recipes that I can enjoy today on my ketogenic way of eating. Have I told you how much I love antiques? And food? Imagine my delight when they are combined!! Ecstatic! 😍🍽📔🗝🕸👩🏼‍🍳🙌🏻🤝

#VintageCooking

DAY 103

My bestie came over for dinner and a movie tonight, and while we were watching updo hair tutorials, my fiancé was the sweetest and actually ended up making us dinner. So it’s like we went out after all!! And check out them braids 👩🏼👧🏼👱🏻‍♀️👸🏼👳🏻‍♀️👰🏼

#HairForDays

DAY 104

Today was Good Friday but it was a great Friday in my books! I got to spend time with my fiancé’s family, got to take a nap in the sun at the park, played ball, and went for a nice walk. Summer is coming and it’s definitely got my spirits lifted! Happy Easter Weekend! 👫

#GreatFriday

DAY 105

photo credit: melissa morrissey weddings

We all get those days, where we truly feel the weight of the world on our shoulders, and to muster the energy to do anything besides survive is nearly impossible. Today was one of those days for me. But at the end of the day, I have a loving husband to-be who knows exactly how to deal with it and make me feel better. You’d be surprised at how something as simple as letting me lay my head on his lap as he strokes my hair can make all the difference. It’s not a cure for a bad day, but it certainly makes it much more manageable to know you’ve got someone on your side who loves you and who would do anything to help you through the dark days. I could go on for days writing about how amazing he is and how he makes me feel like a better person, but in reality, he lets me be ME, the good and the bad without shame or embarrassment, and that is all I can ask for!

#DoAnythingAndEverythingForTheOneYouLove

DAY 106

More gatherings today with my fiancé’s extended family. I love being welcomed with open arms into strangers homes because of the sheer love they have for him and apply it to me too just because. Family is everything!
🍽🍗🍷💏❤️🐰👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🐇💩

DAY 107

Today we went house hunting! Really left this guy tired out from all the stairs. Very exciting! Now we just need to win @ottawahousehunt this year. No more second place–we’re taking the crown!

#HouseHuntVictory

DAY 108

Working on something extra special today. Wedding related of course since it is less than 2 months away!

#WeddingSigns

DAY 109

The organization that this nearly sorted and packaged papers and enveloppes makes my OCD brain very happy! Just look at them flow so perfectly! Except that bottom row. But I fixed it…
📑🗂🗃🗄

#OCDoffice

DAY 110

I got to hang out with an old friend today and it was really nice to catch up. So much has changed in our lives as we seems to I my see each other once s year these days, but once we’re chatting it feels like it was only last week.

DAY 111

The wedding is only a few weeks away so I’m getting down and dirty into making my displays and signs. Amazingly I fit this giant palette in my Corolla! Let the adventures begin!
👰🏼🤵🏼🔜🤓💪🏻👷🏼‍♀️👩🏼‍🔧👩🏼‍🎨

#DIYwedding

DAY 112

With the wedding is only a few weeks away, we are getting all our ducks in order and putting together our rental orders. Today we got the visit @wishesvintagerentals in Stittsville and man that place was amazing! Super full of treasures and great rates to boot! 👰🏼🤵🏼🔜❤️📝

#WeddingTreasures

DAY 113

Coming up on 8 months since I have switched to eating keto and I could not be happier. There’s something so serene about seeing REAL foods filling your grocery cart and knowing that you get to enjoy all of this healthy goodness without gilt. Eating healthy doesn’t mean starving yourself, it means making better choices and enjoying your meals. 🥚🥑🍆🌶🥒🍅🍓🧀🍗

#RealFoodDiet

DAY 114

This is something that my fiancé says to me every single day. Not out of habit, but because for some reason he truly thinks so. Maybe eventually I will believe him… but for now, positive words of affirmation while I practice for me seating chart. Yikes!

#HelloBeautiful

DAY 115

I am so flipping excited!!–finally got my @toms shoes ordered for the #wedding. I have never ordered shoes online, but these were an online exclusive and there was no way I was going to find anything remotely close to being as beautiful as these. Bonus! I get to help a child in need get s pair of #tomsshoes too!#LIFEHACK: go to the mall and try on the shoe in the correct style to find your size before ordering online to make sure you have the right one. 👠👡👢🌼🌸☀️🌈🌊

#WeddingShoeHacks

DAY 116

I’ve had my taxes paperwork sitting on my desk since February, waiting for one particular document to come in. I hate having that thing on my to-do list, not being able to cross it off, and always having to move it over to the new list. Argh! Today, I was able to finally cross it off. DONE!

#FiledMyTaxesLikeABoss

DAY 117

I am lucky enough to have bridesmaids who stepped way up to plan me a bridal shower. Even if it means my friends and family get bombarded with embarrassing childhood photos. Thanks cuz!
👶🏼👧🏼👱🏻‍♀️👩🏼👰🏼

#BridesmaidsAreFamily

DAY 118

For those of you who don’t already know, I own TWO businesses, in addition to having taken on a full time job for the last year in order to be able to completely pay off the wedding by the time it happens (stellar budgeting, whoop!), without having to delay the purchase of our home by much longer. That full time job has been contract-hopping through agencies working for the government with shitty pay (to be polite) with little to no reward. I have had to take serious time away from my businesses, ride the line of burnout in order to keep things running to my high standards in business to somehow still have enough useful energy to be a good employee. I can’t thank my partner enough for picking up the slack at home while I work diligently on my businesses until the wee hours of the night, and for being the best support system I could ever ask for. I am so happy that he understands and fully supports that I want to run my businesses as my sole income again one day, and that RUNNING A BUSINESS IS A REAL JOB. You wouldn’t believe the negativity that comes with saying things like “I work from home” or “I own my business” or “I am an artist”. Never with him. Ever. And I love him for it!

#PartnerForLife

DAY 119

The only thing that would have made today better would be for my mother to have been there with us to celebrate. 👰🏼🤵🏼🔜

#BridalShower

DAY 120

Today le fiance and I got through all of our thank you cards from the bridal shower yesterday thanks to this amazing card station that my cousine made for the shower. Everyone who attended wrote their name and address on an envelope and now all we have to do is put the stamps on and send them. How awesome is that!? 💌